Around one hundred inhabitants, dry stone houses clinging between two ravines 400 meters deep, and an access road that is already an adventure in itself. Masca is the most photographed village in Tenerife — perched at 680 meters in the Teno massif, at the end of the TF-436, a succession of hairpin turns carved into the cliff. The hamlet was at the end of the world until the 1960s-80s, when the road was built. Before that, it could only be reached on foot.
The trick: Arrive before 9am or after 3pm — tourist buses flood the village between 10am and 2pm. Drive the route Santiago del Teide → Masca → Buenavista del Norte: you cover the entire TF-436 without retracing your steps, and the views are more spectacular in this direction. A mandatory stop at Mirador de Cherfe on the way — panoramic views of the village, the gorges, and Teide in the background.
Masca belongs to the municipality of Buenavista del Norte. The village is divided into several neighborhoods — Masca, El Turrón, La Bica, Juan López — connected by paved lanes between terraced gardens, bougainvilleas, and cacti. The architecture is the best preserved in the Canaries: dry stone, wood, lime. Classified as a Cultural Heritage Site.
Legend has it that pirates used the gorges as a refuge to attack galleons laden with gold from the Americas. The ravines descending to the sea offered perfect natural shelter. Nothing has been proven, but the story fits the setting perfectly.
The small Ethnographic Museum (€1.50, Mon-Fri 11am-5pm) traces the life of the village when it was isolated from the rest of the island — subsistence farming, traditional architecture, ancient tools.
The descent through Masca's gorges is the most famous hike in Tenerife. Approximately 4 km descent through a canyon with walls several hundred meters high, 580m elevation loss, down to a black sand cove facing the cliffs of Los Gigantes. Duration of descent: 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on pace. High difficulty — uneven terrain, rocky passages, risk of slipping. Good physical fitness required.
Since December 2025, the access system has changed radically. Reservation mandatory on caminobarrancodemasca.com. The trail is open Wednesday to Saturday, with 30-minute time slots starting at 8:30am (25 places per slot). The permit costs approximately €41 (helmet provided + insurance included). Tenerife residents are reimbursed.
Critical point: private vehicle access to the trailhead is forbidden. You must park at Santiago del Teide cemetery parking, walk 10 minutes to the TITSA bus stop, and take bus line 355 (journey ~20 min). You must be at the stop at least 1 hour before your reserved time slot. Without proof of using bus 355, trail access is denied.
Return is by boat from Masca cove to Los Gigantes (~€25, not included in ticket — must be booked separately). Only descent is possible under the current system. Bring: closed hiking shoes (mandatory), minimum 1.5L water, food, sunscreen, hat.